


Lift Us Higher

by bibliomaniac



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: (Link is the prince and Zelda is his knight), Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Red String of Fate, Well eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-11 22:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10476177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliomaniac/pseuds/bibliomaniac
Summary: Revali can see and touch the strings that connect everyone to their fated One, and his happens to be connected to a certain prince of Hyrule. He'll never do anything about it, of course. He's content just being by Link's side as the Champion of Wind.That is, until he dies and comes back withtwostrings.(What is it with him and getting paired off with princes who don't love him, anyway?)





	1. back in this distant place

**Author's Note:**

> Title and chapter title are both from the song Come On Love by Take That

Revali once asked Solophus, the Elder of the Rito, what the red cord tied to his and every other Rito’s wingtips meant.

“Child, when you were very young, we nearly lost you. You wandered out onto the mountains before your feathers had fully come in, and it took everything we had to find you and revive you.”

Revali had nodded solemnly. “But what does that have to do with the red strings?”

“Those who have nearly died are given a power by the Goddess to see the strings of fate that connect us all. We all have someone else on the other side of our string, and that person is our fated One, the person we are meant to be with for the rest of our lives.”

“So that means there’s someone who loves me on the other side of my string?” Revali had asked, eyes open wide in wonder.

“Yes.” The Elder had smiled and poked him. “But never forget there’s someone who loves you right here, too.”

He doesn’t know quite when he realized that he could _touch_ the strings, too, send vibrations through them that made both parties long for their One, retie frayed knots and severed strings.

He wondered what would happen if he untied a knot himself. He never really wanted to find out, for what reason would he ever have to keep someone from the person they were meant to be with?

When the Elder had finally passed away from a devastating illness, Revali only grew more determined to find his One. As it turned out, though, they had come to him—a young Hylian, visiting Rito Village for the first time. 

Sometimes Revali just liked following the string wherever it took him, even knowing that his One must be far away. But that day, it had taken him to a young man staring out at the mountains in wonder, legs dangling over the edge of the flight landing, string tied around his left index finger.

“Hey!” he had said harshly, suffused with worry for the person who apparently was his, and who also apparently had no regard for his own life. “That’s not safe for a Hylian! Get away from there!”

The boy had startled, and the action had caused him to slip just so, and then he was falling, and Revali had cursed and leapt off the landing to catch him on his back, because he’s waited long enough for this without him going and _dying_.

“What kind of utterly ridiculous, fluff-headed move was that?” he had seethed when his One was back on the platform, looking pale and shaken in his arms, probably partially because Revali was shaking him. “I swear, Hylians are the most—”

“Unhand the crown prince!” an angry, panicked voice had rung out. “Just because you’re a Rito doesn’t mean we can’t—”

Revali had blinked, looking down at the prince, still encircled by his wings, then blanched and stepped away, wings out.

The prince had raised his hand and said in a quiet, authoritative voice, “Do not worry, Zelda. He saved me from what might have been a bad fall.”

“But—”

“I said there is no need to worry,” he had said once more, with all the grandeur of someone who fully expects not to be disobeyed, then flashed a disarming smile at Revali. “Thank you, my friend.”

So that’s how Revali had met his One, a prince who he would soon learn was named Link, and gotten involved in a whole mess that involved him being enlisted in a fight against the darkness. But that is another story, one that has been lost to time, to the Calamity that would one day kill him.

 _This_ story is about how he came back to life, and more importantly how he came to live, which is of course an entirely different thing.

  


* * *

  
When he comes back from the dead, it’s almost as if waking from a bad dream, a dream bathed in orange and pink and the sinking feeling of falling from a height without wings.

He wakes with a gasp and a vague recollection of having been very much dead, and somehow flying this ridiculous contraption anyway, and firing it at Ganon, and… But when he flies out to the top of the Divine Beast that had been his tomb, he finds the castle entirely Ganon-free. It’s crumbling and decrepit perhaps, but there’s no pink and black smoke, no Calamity.

He spares a smile, and then a joyful laugh, falling back against the deck of Medoh and spreading his wings out, because that means that Link and Zelda finally _did_ it. 

Speaking of…Link. He checks his red string out of habit and is incredibly surprised to find that he now has _two_ , both trailing to the southeast.

It’s not like it’s his first time seeing two strings on someone, but it’s his first time seeing two on _him_. He hadn’t even done very well with one. What is he supposed to do with two?

He stares, perplexed, for a few more moments, then sighs and shakes his head. He’ll deal with that later.

For now, his wings could really use a good stretch, and he lets out a triumphant cry as he summons his wind and rises into the air, swooping over the village that he calls home.

Only it’s not home anymore, because all of the people he had known were dead. He sobers at that realization, because he’s still fuzzy on the details, but he does know that this is not the same world he once inhabited.

But Link, he reminds himself. Link is still here. Link is still alive.

He doesn’t love him, but he’s still alive, and that is _far_ more important.

_After the incident with the landing, Link had been ushered away by his knight—Zelda, he had called her—but they had met again at dinner that night, at a gathering of the village council._

_“Why, hello,” he had said with a delighted grin. “If it isn’t my second protector.”_

_“And if it isn’t down-for-brains,” he had retorted, his mouth running away with him._

_“Watch how you speak to the prince!” Zelda had said irritably, and Revali had raised his wingtips once more, admiring how it pulled at Link’s matching string._

_“I intended no offense.”_

_“No, you did,” Link had said, still with that impish grin. “But that’s all right. It’s refreshing.”_

_“Refreshing, sure,” Revali had mumbled. “So what brings two Hylians here anyway? It’s not exactly a forgiving place for such a…delicate race.”_

_“We’re looking,” Link had said, “For champions to pilot ancient machines and fight against Calamity Ganon, whenever he returns. Who is your best warrior?”_

_The village council had looked around, murmuring amongst themselves. Revali understood their reluctance. None of them much liked him. “Revali here is our best archer,” one had eventually offered grudgingly._

_“Oh, is that so?”_

_“I’m also probably the best aerial tactician,” Revali said proudly. “I’ve basically mastered the sky.”_

_They all rolled their eyes, but they couldn’t really say anything against him either. He had trained long and hard to make sure of that._

_“Excellent. Then might you consider meeting with our other candidates for champions? Hyrule would appreciate your assistance.” The grin was back. “As would I.”_

_It would quickly become clear that Link was just that way—naturally effervescent, the sort of person who made you feel like the most special person in the room._

_Revali would also quickly come to know that he would never actually be the person most precious to Link. But he would content himself with being at his side, his Champion of the wind._

Revali comes back to himself and stares at the string on his wingtip, as red and vibrant as the day they had met.

He’ll find Link, he decides. After all, there’s not much else to do at this point.

(And he’s secure enough in himself, cognizant enough of his hopeless attraction, to know that he also just wants to see him.)

He eyes his string once more and begins to fly in the direction of Hyrule Castle. It’s as good a place as any to start.


	2. back together now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw for an arrow wound and subsequent treatment, blood mention
> 
> chapter title is once again from come on love by take that. probably a lot of the chapter titles will be

It takes him two days to fly to the castle. After that, he just follows the shorter of the strings to Link, who he finds in the field surrounding the castle with Zelda.

When he lands, Link’s hand flies to his mouth, and Zelda puts her hand on the Master Sword, frowning.

“You’re dead,” she finally says. “I literally…you’re dead.”

He looks down at himself, then says dryly, “Clearly.”

Link makes a small noise. “Revali? Is that truly you?”

“I woke up on Medoh two days ago,” he says by way of explanation. “I noticed Ganon was no longer visible—good job on that, by the way—so I decided to come here and see if I couldn’t find you.” His eyes widen minutely, and he hurriedly adds, “Both. You both.”

Zelda’s eyebrows are raised, her expression amused. “Is that so.” Then she looks down and her smile widens.

Revali groans internally. She’s looking straight at the strings. He supposes she must have nearly died as well. “Anyway—”

And then he’s being gathered up in a tight hug, and Link is burying his head into his feathers, which, _whoa _, but he’s not going to _tell___ him that he’s just committed somewhat of a Rito social faux pas, because Link is close to him and it feels really nice. 

Then he steps away and beams one of those you’re-the-only-one-here-with-me smiles and says, “I’m so glad you’re all right, my friend.”

Friend. Right. But he’ll take it.

And for a moment, it doesn’t really matter that they’re just friends, or that Link is also sporting a fancy new red string on his left ring finger, because Link is here and smiling and that’s really all he needs.

It’s Zelda who brings up, “If Revali is awake, is there not a possibility that the other Champions have awoken as well?”

Link’s eyes widen. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“If they’re like me, there’s a possibility that they might be headed in this direction as well,” Revali offers. 

“Like you?” Link inquires.

Revali hesitates. “After a hundred years, there wasn’t much left for me in my own village,” he finally says. 

_Not that there ever was, after the Elder passed._

_As he had quietly packed up his things for the journey ahead, Link had asked, “Will it be difficult for you to leave this place behind?”_

_Revali kept his eyes firmly on his work. “No,” he said._

_“No family, friends you’ll be missing? A spouse?” Link had persisted._

_Revali had snorted, an indelicate sound. “My family are all gone, and I don’t have any friends.” He cinched his pack almost viciously. “No spouse.”_

There’s only you, _he had wanted to say, and,_ maybe you’re a sign that the Goddess is finally giving me a chance.

_Link had smiled one of those pleased smiles, slow and bright. “That’s unfortunate.”_

_“Your words and your expression do not match,” he had growled._

_“Pardon me. But it is, in the end, somewhat of a blessing that you’re so…unattached, is it not?” When Revali had glared at him, Link had clarified, “For the purposes of this mission.”_

_“Are you one of those infuriating people that always tries to see the bright side?” Revali had demanded._

_Link had laughed, shaking his head. “I merely believe that things turn out.”_

_“For the best?” Revali asked sarcastically._

_“No. Just that they turn out.” With an enigmatic smile, he had said, “I’ll let you sleep. We’ve a long journey ahead of us.”_

Zelda’s expression is almost sympathetic, for the barest second, then she says brusquely, “We’ll check, then. We’ll take Death Mountain and Zora’s Domain. Revali, Gerudo Town is furthest, so we’ll have you head there.”

“I can’t even get in to Gerudo Town,” he protests. “How am I to find Urbosa?”

“You _can_ still fly, can’t you?” Zelda says contemptuously. “Drop in. The guards can’t stop you from the air.”

“I hate the heat,” he mumbles irritably. 

“It’d really help us out,” Link says pleadingly.

Revali’s beak snaps shut. He’s always been weak to Link begging. “Fine,” he finally snaps, “But you owe me.” He takes off right then and there, partially to avoid thoughts of other situations in which Link might beg, and partially to avoid Zelda’s knowing smirk.

It’s only when he takes a look at the strings soaring behind him in the sky that it occurs to him that his string had been directly to the east of their location in the fields. His new One must be in Zora’s Domain, which means Link will get to them first.

Oh well, he decides. It’s not like anything will _happen_.

  


* * *

  
The flight to Gerudo Town is around three days, and while it’s not too bad the first two days, the third is a nightmare. It’s incredibly hot, and he longs for an elixir to soothe him. He probably should have stocked up before leaving Rito Village, really, but he wasn’t precisely expecting to be in the Gerudo Desert, either.

He’s exhausted, pissed off, and he just wants to get in and see Urbosa (if she’s even awake), which is why he doesn’t notice the arrow whistling towards him as he wings his way over Gerudo Town until it’s firmly lodged in his wing.

He shrieks and lands.

“No voe allowed,” one of the guards says forcefully. “What, you think we don’t know how to deal with Rito?”

“You shot me,” he says in shock.

“Yes,” the other says smugly. “We did.”

“You _shot_ ,” he repeats forcefully, “my _wing_ , which I use to _fly_.”

“Yes. It’s your fault, really. You should probably get it looked at, by the way.”

“I demand to speak with Urbosa,” he says huffily, trying to ignore the pain radiating from his wing. He really does need to get this looked at, but he can’t fly to a healer. Looks like it’s field first aid, then. Businesslike, he cracks off the shaft of the arrow. 

They watch in sick fascination, then one of them comes back to themselves and asks, “How did you know Lady Urbosa was back?”

He rips off a piece of his trousers, and the guards make a strangled noise.

“Oh, don’t be such babies,” he says irritably. “You shot me, I can’t fly to a healer, I’m dealing with it myself. I assure you I’m not attempting to give you a show.” He digs his talons into the ground, then says, “I know she’s back from the dead because I did the same thing not a week ago.” Then he wraps the cloth around the arrowhead to stop the blood from dripping out of the wound. 

“What evidence do you have?” a guard asks.

He looks up and glares at them. “I’m sorry, do I need a certificate that says I was dead once? Just let me speak to her. Tell her Revali is here and she’ll know what to do.”

They look at each other, then one whispers, “I mean, it couldn’t hurt.”

“And please be quick,” he says sweetly, “Because I’m currently considering passing out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> revali is totally oblivious, as per usual, and it's not going to get better either


	3. to survive we can only hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: arrow wound and medical treatment again
> 
> guess what song the title is from (hint: same song)

Urbosa starts laughing when she sees him. “Oh, Goddess,” she gasps. “They really shot you.” 

“We’re sorry, Lady Urbosa, but he was trying to fly—”

“Oh, I’m not mad,” she reassures. “This is hilarious.”

He scowls at her. “Can it be hilarious _after_ I’ve been healed?”

She nods to the person standing next to her. “Attend to him, please. He’s an old friend.”

“Friend,” he mutters. “Right.”

“You can’t come in, obviously, but I can have a tent set up for you out here while you heal. Why are you here, anyway?”

“Link and Zelda sent me. They wanted to see whether the other Champions had woken up as well. I presume they’ll be wanting to meet with us all, though it wasn’t explicitly stated.” He hisses as the arrowhead is taken out. “Ow!”

“They’re all right?” she says, expression overjoyed. “And the Calamity is gone?”

“Yes,” he says, allowing himself a small smile. “That must have been what brought us back.”

“So…Zelda…?” she says hopefully. “She finally got the Master Sword to work for her?”

“Must have. I didn’t ask many questions.”

“We can set off as soon as you’re better, then,” she says, nodding. “Did they say where they were going?”

“Death Mountain, then Zora’s Domain.”

“Right then. I’m not overly fond of Zora’s Domain, but by the time you can fly again they’ll probably be there.” 

“It’s better than this hellhole,” he says pleasantly, and the healer pours some kind of cleaning agent on his wing. “OW!”

“It might sting a little,” she says insincerely. “Sorry.”

Urbosa laughs until she cries, and no amount of verbal abuse stops it. Eventually Revali gives up. She’ll get tired eventually.

When night falls, a blessed relief from the oppressive heat, Revali stares out at the shifting desert sands at Vah Naboris in the distance. He doesn’t know why they’ve been given a second chance, but he will try to make the best of it, whatever that means.

 _So you’ll finally tell Link of your feelings?_ a small, somewhat nasty voice asks in his head.

He huffs and lays back. _Obviously not. What good would that do?_

 _It might give you some closure,_ a nicer voice offers. _Allow you to move on._

 _Yes, I can finally move on to my bountiful romantic prospects. Let me just pluck one from the bouquet._ He rolls his eyes. _Don’t be preposterous._

“You’ve got an expressive face,” comments someone, amusement clear in their voice. “It’s funny.”

He hurriedly sits up again, only to find a small Gerudo girl decked out in gold. He frowns. “Who exactly are you?”

“I’m Riju, the Gerudo chief.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’re awfully small for a chief.”

She smiles sweetly, then her hand flickers out, lightning-fast, to apply pressure on his bandaged wound. “Ow!” he yells again.

“You’re awfully weak for a famous Champion,” she says, looking very proud of herself. “One arrow, really?”

“I was distracted,” he snaps. “What’s your excuse? Didn’t drink enough milk?”

“My excuse is that I’m thirteen. Is it not considered rude among the Rito to bully children?”

He sniffs delicately and looks away. “It is, but I’ve never been considered particularly polite.”

“At least you admit it.” She sits next to him, and he stares at her.

“I like to look out at the sand too,” she says. “I don’t often get the opportunity to sneak away from the city, but when I do, I just look at the desert and dream of traveling to far-off places.”

“It’s not nearly all it’s cracked up to be,” Revali says, returning his gaze to the desert. “There’s a lot of pain out there.”

“Yes, but,” she holds up her hand, on which a red string is tied, “Whoever they are, they’re out there too.”

“You can see them? The strings?”

She shrugs. “I got sick a lot when I was young. Have you met yours?” She inclines her head towards his strings.

“One of them.”

“What are they like?”

Revali looks at the sky. The stars are incredibly bright out here. “He’s strong, very strong. He’s had a lot of pressure on him all his life, and yet he bears it with a quiet dignity. He works very hard to keep up an image of someone who is worthy of the Goddess’s light, but underneath it he’s bright, and unpredictable, and kind. He makes you feel important even when you don’t believe it yourself.” He pauses, then adds, “He’s also completely infuriating, reckless, and a hopeless flirt, and he has down where his brains should rightly be, and—”

“And you love him.”

The quiet statement unsettles him for a moment, then he nods.

“I hope I’ll find my One soon,” Riju says, sighing. “I want someone who I can love like you love this person.”

He knows that’s not true, because she doesn’t want someone who will never love her back, but he keeps it to himself. She’s just a child, after all. She doesn’t need his cynicism.

She hops up, grinning down at him. “Anyway, this was a hugely successful reconnaissance mission.”

His eyes narrow dangerously. “I beg your pardon?”

“Urbosa asked me to figure out who your string led to. She’s been curious ever since you got here. You were talking about the Goddess’s light, which means it’s Prince Link, right?”

“Why you—” He makes to grab at her ankle, but she dances away, laughter tinkling in the night air.

“Thank you for your cooperation!” she sings as she runs away.

Revali buries his head in his uninjured wing. What an awful child. 

He should have crushed her dreams while he had the chance.

  


* * *

  
When he wakes up the next morning, Urbosa is grinning at him in an eerie echo of Riju’s smile from the last night. They really do look a lot alike, he thinks tiredly.

“So, Link, huh?”

“Shut up,” he groans. “You are the worst and I hate you.”

“Were you two together all along, then? I’m surprised I missed it.”

He glares at her. “Of course not. He doesn’t have any feelings for me.”

She purses her lips. “Wherever did you get that idea?”

“It’s pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that he thinks of me only as a friend,” Revali says dismissively. 

“Really? Because I can still remember Zelda complaining to me daily. ‘When will he just kiss him already, the two of them are so incredibly obvious, he needs to just jump that bird—’”

Revali can feel his skin heat under his feathers. “Don’t be crass,” he hisses. 

Urbosa holds up her hands in a placating manner. “I’m just quoting her. She seemed pretty convinced that Link felt something for you.”

Revali sighs, dragging his feathers over his face. “Zelda has always had it out for me. I refuse to believe anything she or you say on the matter.”

“He’s your One,” Urbosa says simply. “You should tell him.”

“I’m sure you’d both love to see me humiliate myself by saying something about it, and then where would I be? No. I’m not going to tell him.”

Urbosa taps her fingers on her hips, then says, “Fine. But consider it, would you? He deserves to know, and you both deserve to be happy. If the Goddess thinks you can have that together, who are you to deny Her?”

Revali looks at her, at the frayed end of her string, then exhales slowly. “I’ll consider it. Now would you consider getting me some food?”

“So bossy. But sure, I’ll have somebody bring something out.”

“You’re right here,” he says disbelievingly. “You can’t do it yourself?”

She smiles wide, showing off her teeth. “Oh, I could.”

Then she saunters away, jewelry clinking together, laughing quietly to herself.

He hates the Gerudo, Revali decides. What an incredibly insufferable bunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> revali is sassy but the gerudo outsass him and he doesn't appreciate that


	4. hide from every judgment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: injury (again)
> 
> changing it up this time. title is from hope by...take that ;) (i'm gonna do every title from a song in this album, i swear it)

By the time Revali’s wing has healed enough to fly on it again, he is very much done with the desert. He’s done with the heat, and with the sun, and with the Gerudo looking at him curiously every time they pass in and out of the city. He’s ready to move onto a cooler climate and to see Link again.

(He doesn’t mention that last part to Urbosa, but by her smiles, she probably knows.)

The journey is considerably longer with Urbosa in tow—she’s not by any means a slow traveler, but she can’t fly, either. Eventually, though, they manage to make their way to the Great Zora Bridge.

“Thank goodness,” Revali says happily, stretching out his wings as they walk. (He could fly in, but he’s not going to risk it after what happened at Gerudo Town). “Warm food, comfortably cool weather, _water_ —Goddess, I can finally bathe in an actual bath!”

“You’re such a priss,” Urbosa says mildly. “I like traveling.”

“Yes, well, you’ve never had to travel with _you_ , have you?” he returns. 

“At least I don’t complain incessantly.”

“My incessant complaints are part of my charm,” he says loftily.

“How about you complain at Link instead of me, then? I have no interest in being charmed by you.”

He narrows his eyes at her. “You’d better not make comments like that around him.”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

“Err on the side of ‘won’t’, or I assure you I _will_ tell everyone about that time you accidentally hit on the Elder of my village.”

She grins toothily. “Accidentally?”

As he sputters, a tall red Zora runs up to them, absolutely beaming. “Hello! You must be the other Champions.”

Revali can’t help but puff up a bit. “So you’ve heard of us, then?”

“I have, but it’s also just not every day that you see a Rito and Gerudo traveling together, and Prince Link has told us to be on the lookout for such a thing.”

Revali deflates slightly, but Urbosa elbows him, hard.

“Ow, you savage! You—”

She wiggles her fingers pointedly, and he frowns, then looks at his wingtips and gasps. 

This Zora, whoever he is, is his other One.

“You, what’s your name?” he says, congratulating himself on keeping his voice steady.

“I’m Sidon, the Prince of the Zora,” the Zora says with a small bow. “I’m pleased to meet you both.”

Urbosa’s grin slowly comes back, as Revali’s face drops.

Another prince? _Really?_

He’s contemplating how to respond when Sidon adds bashfully, “I’m also Prince Link’s partner, but that’s fairly recent.”

Revali chokes. Distantly, he hears himself asking, “His partner? In _what_?”

Sidon blinks. “Well, we’re dating, is what I meant.”

“Right. Of course. Sorry, would you excuse me?”

“I’m sorry, are you quite—”

He doesn’t wait to hear the ‘all right’, already flying in the air and towards the nearby Ploymus Mountain, because no, he’s not all right.

His strings flutter behind him, and he wishes now more than ever that he was never able to see them in the first place.

He reaches the mountain peak, gasping for air that he cannot find. He always thought he would be content with just being by Link’s side, but if Link is with someone else, that’s an _entirely_ different thing. Who is this Sidon, anyway? What’s so good about him?

 _He’s your One as well, you know,_ the more rational voice in him points out. _If you were to tell them—_

 _Of course not, especially not now,_ he snaps back. _What interest would two princes have in a lowly Rito warrior? I have no title, no possessions, and a terrible personality. Nobody even_ likes _me, and you’re suggesting I go up to them and say, a very good afternoon to you, I’m your One so you have to_ love _me?_

_Well, maybe you might phrase it differently._

He huffs angrily. _No. I’ve been alone all my life. I’ll just be alone for the rest of it._

_What scares you so much about telling them? Are you afraid they’ll reject you?_

_I’m afraid,_ he thinks to himself, _that they’ll send me away, and then I truly will have no one._

But his thoughts are interrupted. His exhale has apparently alerted a nearby Lynel to his presence, and it’s approaching him and readying its sword.

Revali reaches to his back for his bow, but it’s not there, because until recently he was dead, and he never managed to find out where they were keeping his bow.

Well. Looks like he doesn’t have much of a life left to live anyway.

What a joke, he thinks dully, and closes his eyes as the sword swings down, down.

  


* * *

  
_The second time Revali had saved Link from what could have been certain death, it was on the journey to Hyrule Castle, where the other Champion candidates were apparently waiting._

_They had come across a Hinox, and while Zelda had done her best, she wasn’t fast enough to stop it from swinging at Link—_

“Can you save him?”

_But Revali had drawn its attention, shot an arrow at its eye, over and over again until it had fallen over and Zelda could finish it off._

“That scumheaded...Why was he up on the mountain anyway?”

_Link had smiled one of those disarming smiles at him and breathed, “It seems I’ve relied again on your strength.”_

“It seems he was unsettled by my declaration that I’m dating Link, though I can’t imagine why.”

_“You need to be more careful. I won’t always be there, you know.”_

“You ridiculous birdbrain. You had better wake up, you know.”

_“Or perhaps I’ll just have to ensure that I’m around you more often,” Link had said, still smiling._

“We all need you here,” and while the other voices are blurred and distant, Link’s voice is somehow in clear focus.

_And somehow, even though a part of him had known even then he would never have Link in the way that he wanted, at that moment Revali had thought…maybe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at first i wasn't going to have this at all, but the lynel was just _there_ , so how could i not, you know


	5. heart on the line for the love we left behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: mention of injury, medical treatment
> 
> title from cry by sigma...featuring take that ;) (it's on the album, so it still counts)

The first thing he sees when he wakes up is Mipha.

“Hello,” he croaks. “Been a while.”

“If the next thing out of your mouth is anything but a sincere apology, I don’t care how injured you are, I will slap you,” she says sweetly.

He narrows his eyes at her and doesn’t say anything.

“Going out to the top of the mountain without a weapon, really? If you had stayed even a second longer, any Zora could have told you there was a Lynel there. Goddess, Revali, if Sidon hadn’t chased after you…”

His eyes narrow even further at the mention of him.

“Oh, don’t give me that crap. What, you’re bitter because Sidon isn’t a coward like you? He saved your life. I don’t know much about Rito culture, but I know that means something. If you keep up with that attitude around him, I might just tell them myself, though Goddess knows why they’ve been saddled with a bird with a death wish and algae for brains.”

His eyes widen now, horrified.

“I saw your strings, Revali. Why haven’t you ever _told_ them? Link—”

“Link,” Revali snaps harshly, “Will never know, and if you tell them, I swear I will get myself killed a thousand times over before I let them tell me what I already know.”

Mipha slaps him.

“That wasn’t an apology,” she says, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes, “And I’m done trying to help you.” Then she storms out of the room.

He lifts his wing up to brush against his face, wincing when it pulls at the slash across his chest. 

He can vaguely hear “—tired. Can someone else take over—” and he closes his eyes.

He chases away everyone. Can’t they see that he would only do the same to Link if he said anything?

When he opens his eyes again, Sidon is at his bedside, light emanating from his hands as he hums something tuneless but powerful. He stops when he sees Revali is awake.

“Oh, good morning!” he says cheerfully. “Mipha got tired, so I’m filling in for her while she recuperates. Healing takes a lot out of us, you know? Anyway, she’s far more talented a healer than I, but hopefully I can do you some good anyway!”

Oh, great, he’s _nice_. 

Revali stares at his hands and the light beginning to emanate from them once more, then croaks, “I heard you saved me. I owe you a debt,” because he may not like him, but Mipha was right when she said that saving a life meant something to the Rito. 

“Oh, you don’t owe me anything but a full recovery,” Sidon says with a wink. “We were really worried about you there for a while. Link especially. He barely left your side.”

Revali is quiet for a moment, processing that, then he says, “He’s always been very considerate towards his friends.”

Sidon looks at him, then smiles somewhat disconcertingly. “Yes. I may not have known him for long, but I do know that.”

“How did you two get together, anyway?” Revali asks, because he’s a masochist, but also because he’s curious how two people begin dating within…weeks, it must have been.

Sidon pauses, then says delicately, “I don’t want to talk about anything that might hinder your healing, and you seemed rather distressed when I brought it up last time.”

“I’m fine,” Revali says irritably. 

“The gaping wound in your chest might indicate otherwise,” Sidon jokes, then raises a hand to tap his chin thoughtfully. “Let’s see. The story is not particularly interesting, I’m afraid. He arrived here about three weeks ago, and when we spent some more time with one another, we found ourselves compatible. It felt almost like we were…connected somehow. I asked him whether he might consider my courtship, and he accepted.”

Revali’s heart hurts, but that could be the aforementioned gaping wound. “So you just asked?”

“Yes, more or less,” Sidon says, sounding slightly confused.

“Right. Well, congratulations.”

“Thank you.” For the rest of the healing session, neither of them speak.

When Sidon rises, the door opens again, and Link enters, looking slightly mussed-up, like he ran the entire way here. 

“Link!” Sidon says happily, and leans down to kiss him. Revali scowls and looks away. He’s really going to have to get used to that. Maybe later.

Link returns the kiss, then turns his gaze to Revali and brightens. “Revali, my dear friend! Mipha told me you woke earlier, but by the time I got here you were asleep again. I’m so happy to see you on the mend. We were all very worried. Thank the Goddess we’re in a city full of healers.”

“Yes, it would have been awful if I weren’t around to see,” he gestures at them vaguely, “All this.”

They wear equally pinched smiles for a moment, before he relents. “Rito aren’t used to public displays of affection,” he says, which is a complete lie, but if it’s a lie that means he doesn’t have to see them kiss ever again, he’s more than willing to tell it. 

“Oh, my apologies,” Sidon says, looking genuinely apologetic. “I didn’t know.”

“You’ve never mentioned it before,” Link says, almost suspiciously if it weren’t for his mild tone.

“Well, you’ve never kissed anyone in front of me before,” Revali says, raising his eyebrow. “Unless, of course, I missed it.”

“I suppose not.” Link comes closer, his face still carefully pleasant. “So, care to tell me what exactly you thought you were doing going out without any weapons?”

Revali shrugs, grimacing as it again sends waves of pain through his body. “Didn’t have my bow. I don’t know where it is.”

“Zelda has it. They gave it to her as a reward when she purified Vah Medoh. But that doesn’t answer my question.” 

“Wasn’t thinking too hard about it at the time,” he says dismissively, which is true.

“So you’re telling me,” Link says, face now overbearingly pleasant, “That you nearly got yourself killed, no less than a month after we finally got you back, because you weren’t, and I quote, ‘thinking too hard about it’?”

Revali shrinks away from the look on his face. “Uh, yes?”

“How interesting. It’s especially interesting given that you used to frequently get angry at me for doing far less dangerous things. Sidon, don’t you think it’s interesting?”

Sidon looks caught between being amused and wanting to leave. “Very interesting.”

“Well.” Link claps his hands together, practically beaming now. “I _suggest_ ,” he emphasizes in a way that implies it is not at all a suggestion, “That next time you think harder.”

“Right,” Revali mumbles, feeling slightly cowed.

Link sighs, deflating, his mask dropping to reveal his exhaustion. “I don’t know what any of us would have done if we had lost you,” he murmurs. “If _I_ had lost you, Revali.”

Revali stares at him, then places his wingtips over Link’s hands, which are clenched into fists and trembling. “I’m okay,” he says softly. “I’m still here.”

Link smiles at him, something new and almost hesitant, then stiffens, withdrawing. “Well. Be sure you remain that way.”

“I will.”

He watches Link nod, then take Sidon’s hand and walk out the door, and his heart hurts again, and this time it’s definitely not the wound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> revali is a very misguided jerk


	6. learn from every lesson, face the lonely fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from hope by take that, you know the drill by now

A few hours later, Urbosa visits. “I would have come earlier,” she says, expression inscrutable, “But I figured I might murder you, and that might be counterproductive.”

He winces. “Sorry?”

“So you can say that to me but not to Mipha?”

He sighs. “I feel bad about Mipha. I want to apologize properly, but she hasn’t come back.”

Urbosa shrugs. “I wouldn’t. For future reference, it’s probably a bad idea to tell a person who just spent sixteen straight hours healing you that you’d rather die again than face up to your fears. The Rito demand a life debt when someone saves you, right? You basically spit on all of your traditions by saying that to her.”

He fidgets. “Like I said, I feel bad.” He pauses. “Wait, how do you know about the life debt thing?”

“There’s a similar thing among the Gerudo,” Urbosa says with a shrug. “But more to the point, Mona told me about it once.”

“Mona?” He frowns, searching his memory. “I knew a Mona once. She was on the village council.”

“She was also my One,” Urbosa says with a tight smile. 

Revali’s eyes instinctually flicker to the frayed end of Urbosa’s string. “The Calamity?”

“No, just time.” She exhales, sitting on the chair by his bedside. “She and I were never exactly together. When I met her, I couldn’t see the strings, and even though she could, I didn’t believe her at first. And then I had my responsibility to my people to provide an heir, and she couldn’t leave the village. She loved it too much. But we talked a lot, sent a lot of letters.”

“I never knew,” Revali says, brows knitting together.

Urbosa raises an eyebrow. “You never asked. You were never really interested in getting to know any of us, Revali. Riju is my granddaughter, did you know that? Daruk had a wife; he has a great-grandson now, which is why he’s not here yet. Mipha had Sidon, but you wouldn’t have known that either, would you? And what do any of us know about you, either? That you’re arrogant and grumpy and in love with Link? Only what we know from observation, really.”

Revali stares at his lap.

“But,” she says, standing, “We care about you anyway. And if you ever decide to let any of us in, we’ll be there.”

He doesn’t say anything, still staring fixedly at a point on his blanket, as if doing so will keep him from flying apart.

“I’ll tell Mipha you’re ready to apologize. She’ll probably come back. She’s too nice for her own good.” Then she stops for a moment. “Don’t make my mistakes, Revali.”

Urbosa leaves silently, and Revali is once more alone with his thoughts.

Eventually he looks up and sighs. He’s really a jerk, isn’t he?

 _Maybe it would have been better if they hadn’t saved you at all,_ the nasty voice whispers, _maybe you don’t deserve to be alive,_ but he shakes it off.

 _Oh, come off it. You can’t accept accountability for your shortcomings by going off and dying,_ he shoots back irritably. _And who really deserves anything, anyway?_

He’ll apologize. He’ll apologize to Mipha, and to Urbosa, and to Daruk. He’ll apologize to Sidon and to Link.

He’ll become a better person, and he’ll make up for all the hurt he’s caused, and then he’ll quietly slip away.

 _You haven’t learned anything,_ the rational voice says accusatorily, and he shrugs.

 _Perhaps not,_ he acknowledges. _Perhaps not._

* * *

  
_When he first met the other Champions, he was honestly intimidated. He had always been the best in the village, but here he’s among individuals who were the best of their people, and he was pretty sure none of them liked him._

_Especially Daruk. Daruk had made it quite clear that he did Not Approve of Revali’s bad attitude, and Revali had no idea what to do about it, because he wasn’t used to actually wanting anybody’s approval._

_So instead he had made very sure none of them would like him. He was arrogant, and rude, and irritable, because if they were going to dislike him anyway, he’d much rather it be on his terms. Eventually even the ones who might have been trying to see the best in him stopped altogether._

_Except for Link._

_Link never quite stopped trying to see the person behind the carefully-constructed walls, and maybe that’s why Revali fell in love with him, in the end._

Revali wakes up, once more, to Mipha. 

They gaze at each other for a moment, neither one wanting to be the first one to speak, before Revali relents. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything about being willing to die after you expended so much effort on keeping me from doing so. I am grateful, despite my words to the contrary, and I do owe you a debt.”

“I don’t want your debt,” she says, scowling. “I can’t imagine you have anything I’d want, anyway.”

Revali grimaces. That’s twice now he’s been rejected. It’s starting to sting. 

“Actually, scratch that. What I want is for you to value the life and opportunities you’ve been given. Do you know how lucky you are?”

He goes silent. He doesn’t want to offend her by saying ‘no’, but he can’t really think of why she might think that.

She holds up her hands. He’s confused for a moment, but then he notices there’s not a string to be found.

“You have _two_ ,” she says bitterly. “Two people who could love you, and yet the Goddess deemed me unworthy of having even _one_. Even though I love, I am destined to never be loved in return.”

“You love someone?” Revali asks curiously.

She glares at him. “That’s none of your business. Anyway, my point is, you should tell them.”

He’s silent for a while longer. 

“At least consider it. You owe me a debt, right?” 

He nods slowly, then says, “I really am sorry, you know. For…all of it.”

She purses her lips. “Good.”

As she leaves, Revali wonders if this is destined to be his life—left alone contemplating his own cowardice. 

It is a pity about Mipha, though. He idly twirls his Link-string, as he does sometimes when thinking, then his eyes widen.

He can touch the strings. He can fix this for Mipha.

What better way to repay his debt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> revali makes bad decisions: the fic
> 
> mona is from grus monacha, the hooded crane


	7. tired hearts hoping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from it's all for you by take that

His daily healings continue, until he’s finally released from the healing wing. The first thing he does is go find Zelda and ask for his bow back. Well, it’s more like a demand, but she raises her eyebrow and says “I’d keep it just because you’re a jerk, but then Link would probably blame me if you ever went out weaponless again,” and goes to her room to retrieve the bow and gives it to him.

He’s not afraid to admit how much better he feels with it securely on his back, how much more whole. He can’t fire it for a while yet—it would put strain on his injury—but he can still have it, and that’s more than enough for now.

He continues to go in for daily healing sessions, until he’s finally cleared for all normal activities. He goes out for a flight above the palace that day as a celebration, twirling and diving, until he notices that Sidon is watching him, smiling.

Revali lands, a bit embarrassed to have been seen flying so freely, but Sidon’s smile appears to be genuine.

“That was beautiful!” he enthuses. “It’s a rarity around here to see Rito at all, much less one so clearly enjoying themselves.”

“It’s been a bit difficult to keep from flying,” Revali admits. “I was worried the muscles in my wings were going to atrophy, but they seem fine.”

“I’m glad.” Sidon is still grinning, but this time there’s a hint of mischief in it. “So, I hear you’re quite the archer.”

Revali eyes him warily. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

“Of course, of course. Link tells me you can release three arrows perfectly in the center of the target in quick succession. I’ve been longing to see it.”

Revali scoffs. “I can do it with five.”

“Care to prove it?”

“Cocky,” Revali mutters. “Give me a target.”

“We have some set up in a range nearby. If you follow me I can lead you there.”

As they walk, Sidon asks, “So, what inspired you to become so proficient at archery?”

_Link was clapping. “Amazing, Revali! Five arrows, all split down the middle!”_

_Revali had puffed up at the praise. “Someday I’ll manage six.”_

_“I’ll look forward to it. But really, your talent is astounding. What drove you to develop it so?”_

_Revali’s proud smile had immediately dropped. “Nothing important.”_

_Link had paused. “I don’t think you’re being truthful with me. If it’s a painful memory, I apologize for dredging it up.”_

_Revali had tapped his talons on the ground. He didn’t like seeing that sad expression on Link’s face. Abruptly, he had said, “I was raised by the Rito Village’s previous Elder. He used to tell me that my parents would be proud if they could see how I shot a bow. I thought…well, I was quite young. I thought if I became the best they might come back for me.”_

_“Oh, Revali,” Link had breathed, placing a soothing hand on Revali’s wing. Or, well, it was probably intended to be soothing, but Link’s little touches always made Revali’s heart race._

_“Eventually I grew out of that notion, of course, but by then I had realized that if I was the best, it didn’t matter whether the other children disliked me or whether I had parents or whether my One wanted me or any of it, because I’d be above it all.”_

_Link had nodded slowly, then tilted his head. “Why would it ever be in question whether your One wanted you?”_

_Revali had blanched. Him and his big mouth. “Well, I mean, don’t we all wonder sometimes?”_

_“I suppose we do,” he had said softly, thoughtfully, and that was that._

“Revali?”

“I wanted to be the best,” he says, voice distant with recollection, then shakes his head. “Fat lot of good it did me.”

Sidon looks at him curiously, but lets it go.

Revali fires the arrows, one after another, and they all split each other, as promised.

Sidon starts clapping excitedly. “Brilliant! Amazing, Revali!”

Somehow, though, the praise doesn’t fill him up like it usually does.

  


* * *

  
The next day, Revali goes out for an early morning flight, just soaring above Zora’s Domain and enjoying the feeling of wind through his wings.

He’s in a good mood, therefore, when Sidon finds him again and asks cheerfully, “How are you at hand-to-hand combat?”

“I don’t have hands,” Revali says blandly, staring at Sidon.

Sidon looks lost as to how to respond to that, until Revali can’t hold back his smile anymore. 

“You made a joke!” Sidon says joyfully, like his fondest dream has just been realized.

“I am known to do so occasionally,” Revali says, raising an eyebrow. “But to answer your question, while I’m far better at long-distance, I’ve been trained to fight up close as well.”

“Fantastic! I need a sparring partner. Zelda refuses to indulge me.” Sidon is pouting, and it transforms his face into something far less regal and far more ridiculous. 

“Fine, but I’m probably quite rusty,” Revali hedges.

“Are you actually admitting weakness?” Sidon inquires, eyes sparkling in a way that indicates he’s joking. “So full of surprises.”

“Oh, come off it,” Revali says, faking irritation. “It just means if you lose you’re even worse than I thought.”

“A challenge. I like it.” He’s grinning now. “All right, first to pin wins, then.”

Without warning, Sidon lunges at him. Revali sidesteps easily, and the real fight begins.

Neither of them are particularly serious about it at first, but as time progresses and neither have landed blows, they start circling each other and properly looking for openings.

“Rusty, huh?” Sidon says, breath coming slightly heavy.

Revali shrugs modestly, but his breath is irregular as well. “If your enemy doesn’t expect much, they’ll be caught off their guard.”

“Smart.” His leg flickers out and catches Revali in the side. 

“Ow,” Revali shrieks, pitching down to the ground. “Right in my injury, really?”

Sidon’s face turns concerned immediately. “I thought you were healed, I’m so—”

As he leans over, Revali summons wind to catch him off balance, then kicks him over, using his weight to pin him to the ground. “Gullible,” he says, smirking. “I win.”

Underneath him, Sidon’s eyes crinkle as he beams. “You used my caring nature against me.”

“I did, yes,” Revali says smugly, feeling very pleased with himself. 

“Like I said, full of surprises,” Sidon says, something almost wondering in his tone, and it’s this that finally reminds Revali that he’s in a somewhat awkward position.

Coughing, he gets up, extending his wingtips to Sidon. “Good match.”

“Next time you can’t use the same trick,” Sidon says, taking Revali’s wing. “So you’re going to have to work a lot harder to take me down.”

“Next time?”

“Well, you didn’t think I’d take this without a fight, did you?” He grins again, showing off his teeth. “Rematch tomorrow.”

Revali looks at Sidon’s hand, still encircled by his wing, at the lack of distance in between their strings, and frowns at the odd feeling that wells up inside him. It feels sort of like something is slotting into place. “Sure.”

“Great! I should probably go clean up.” He flashes another grin. “Thanks for keeping me humble, by the way.”

This time, Revali smiles as well. “Oh, it’s my pleasure.”

“Right, then I’ll see you later.”

It only occurs to Revali after Sidon’s left that this was not the way one tends to act around someone they dislike at all.

Hm. Maybe he’s not _completely_ awful, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how to tame an angry rito, by sidon, prince of the zora


	8. let your despair be shared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from and the band plays by take that

They spar most days after that, unless Sidon is in meetings all day. They also talk before and after, until Revali can say tentatively that they’re probably friends, or something like it.

The strangest thing is that even though Link and Sidon are dating—not obviously around Revali, because of the ‘PDA Rule’, but he knows it’s going on anyway—Revali is actually pretty happy, his plans to leave pushed to the back of his mind. He’s with people who he’s actually comfortable around, and while he still doesn’t really know if they _like_ him, they at least _tolerate_ him, which Revali can deal with.

About a month passes by, until it’s the day Daruk is expected to arrive. Revali isn’t terribly excited. They've never gotten along well, and he doubts that’s changed any, even beyond the grave.

“Shouldn’t he be here already?” Revali grumbles. “He can be so slow.”

“Didn’t your Elder ever teach you nice words?” Urbosa asks dryly, though she looks a bit bored as well.

“Nope, only nasty ones,” he flings back. “Wanna hear some?”

“Stop bickering,” Mipha says calmly, “Or I’ll throw you both over the edge of this bridge.”

“So violent,” Revali murmurs, and she shoots him a glance that has him raising his wings defensively.

Revali has been keeping an eye on Mipha, trying to see who it is she loves, but she’s surprisingly difficult to read. Or, well, it’s not all that surprising, but it is irritating.

A fast-moving blur catches their attention. One of them is obviously Daruk, but Revali doesn’t know what the smaller one might be.

“Oh, he brought Yunobo,” Zelda comments mildly. “That’s nice.”

“Yuwhato?”

Urbosa shoots an annoyed glance at Revali. “I mentioned he had a great-grandson, right? His name is Yunobo, and you had _better_ be nice to him.”

“I’m a delight, Urbosa, how rude,” Revali protests, but it’s probably a fair warning. He’s not very nice to people he doesn’t know, or for that matter people he does.

Daruk and Yunobo stop rolling. “What a hike!” Daruk immediately booms. “You all could benefit from some well-placed catapults.”

Zelda steps forward. “Link sends his regrets that he could not be here to meet you. He’s caught up in a meeting with Prince Sidon and some of his advisors.” That’s been happening a lot lately, Revali thinks sourly. He gets Link is a prince and all, but Revali is pretty sure King Dorephan is taking advantage of Link’s semi-celebrity status to get the advisors to agree to things that they’ve previously been fighting against.

“Oh, a meeting, sure,” Daruk says with a wink. “No need to mince words, I know what a young couple gets up to.”

Revali makes a disgusted face. “Don’t be crude, Daruk.”

Daruk grins at Revali. “Like you wouldn’t like to ‘meet’ with our Prince just as much.”

Revali turns hot underneath his feathers, but poor Yunobo next to him is even worse off. He’s turned a shade of bright red. “Daruk,” he squeaks, “Please.”

“Oh, sorry.” Daruk pats Yunobo on the back, and he slides a couple of inches forward. “Just teasing, right, Revali?”

“Right,” Revali says coldly. 

Things only get worse at dinner that night, when Daruk takes one look at the strings connecting Revali, Sidon, and Link and starts laughing raucously. “Oh, that’s precious,” he wheezes. 

Revali’s eyes widen, and everyone almost simultaneously makes a throat-slicing motion.

“What?” Link inquires, adorably confused.

“Just remembered a very funny joke,” Daruk says with an exaggerated wink at Revali. “I could tell it, but it comes with some _strings_ attached, you feel me?”

Link and Sidon both blink while Revali’s eyes narrow furiously. He stalks over to Daruk and hisses at him, “Don’t you dare tell either of them.”

“Oh, come, I’m just having some fun. I won’t tell.” 

Revali stares at him, trying to figure out whether he’s telling the truth or not, then announces, “I’m afraid I’m not very hungry, if you’ll excuse me.”

Then he storms out, leaving the entire dining room silent.

(Perhaps the worst part is that he’s actually _very_ hungry.)

  


* * *

  
As soon as he’s out of the palace, he’s flying in the air, aimlessly making loops, trying to calm down his racing heart and growling stomach. He only lands when he sees Yunobo looking up at him.

“Hello,” he says cautiously. What he really wants to ask is “what are _you_ doing here”, but that might fall under the umbrella of ‘rude’, and Urbosa would have his feathers. “Yunobo, right?”

“Right,” Yunobo says, somewhat nervously. “Um…I wanted…”

Revali stares at him as Yunobo shrinks. Finally he says, “Am I that scary?”

“No! No. I’m just sort of like this.” He laughs weakly, then looks down.

“Do you want to sit down or something?” Revali asks, because Yunobo’s legs are trembling like they might give out any time.

“Sure,” Yunobo says, and sits down on the ground.

Revali spares a smile for that. “Wasn’t quite what I meant, but that works.”

“Oh! I’m…kind of heavy for normal chairs,” Yunobo says, coloring. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” This kid is awkward, but it’s kind of endearing. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Well…about Great-Grandpa Daruk,” he says, looking proud of himself for getting the words out. “He’s…he’s great! He’s, uh, he’s like my hero.”

Revali raises an eyebrow. “Okay.”

“That’s not my point,” Yunobo says, turning even more red. “My point is that he’s great, but he can also be kind of…a lot sometimes. And, uh, sometimes he doesn’t…understand…subtlety?”

Revali huffs at that. “Oh, I know.”

“Right. So, um, I don’t think…I don’t think he meant to be rude. About the strings. And he didn’t tell, don’t worry! So don’t be mad at him.” With his piece said, Yunobo clamps his mouth shut and pokes his fingers together.

“Are you…apologizing for him?” Revali says, amused.

“Kind of? Yes? He’s kind of stubborn, so I don’t think he’ll do it himself, but I think he felt bad when you left.”

Revali sighs and sits on a nearby bench. “Want to know a secret?” he says idly. “I don’t even really dislike him. I actually sort of admire him.”

Yunobo looks confused as to why this has turned into a confession, but to his credit, he plays along. “Really?”

“He’s loud, and brash, and irritating, but he also speaks his mind. I envy that part of him.”

“I know what you mean. I have a hard enough time talking normally, much less saying difficult things. He just says it all without even caring.”

“Yes, precisely.” Revali looks up at the sky. “If I were like him, maybe I would have told them a long time ago.”

“I get it, though,” Yunobo says, nodding. “My One is a really nice person named Porphyry back in Goron City. We’re friends, but they can’t see strings, and I don’t know how to tell them. What if they get mad, or they don’t want to be friends anymore?”

“See, exactly! How are you supposed to say anything when you could lose so much by doing so? It’s a lot easier to just leave things as they are.”

“Right. Daruk says I just need to eat more gravel and stop being so afraid, but I can’t just do that just because someone tells me to.”

Revali smiles. “You know, Yunobo, you’re not half bad.”

Yunobo smiles back, hesitantly. “Thanks? I think that’s a compliment?”

“It is,” Revali reassures. 

“Can you two stop bonding over your bad decisions and come eat? Link and Sidon refuse to serve us until you come back,” Urbosa’s voice comes from a little ways away, sounding very irritated.

“I think I could eat,” Revali says.

“Oh, good. I’m hungry too,” Yunobo says, relieved. “Is it bad to have multiple motives for coming out here?”

“I can forgive you for it,” Revali says, feeling very magnanimous and very happy with his life decisions.

(That, of course, would not last long.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yunobo is totally an enabler don't try and tell me different
> 
> porphyry is a term for an igneous rock consisting of large crystals in a fine-grained silicate rich, apparently
> 
> oh i'm doing a fic giveaway over on my tumblr! you don't have to be following me so feel free to enter *v* it's [here](http://anuninterestingperson.tumblr.com/post/158988836706/600-follower-giveaway)


	9. it's gonna be a long way down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from superstar by take that

Two things happen in fairly quick succession the next day.

First, a traveling Rito minstrel visits Zora’s Domain.

Second, Revali overhears part of a conversation.

But before any of that, Revali spars with Sidon.

They’re about evenly matched, as much as Revali hates to admit it, and Sidon always wins when they use staffs, as they are today.

“I still say this is an unfair advantage,” Revali huffs as Sidon feints in his direction, then darts away when Revali kicks out at him. “For one, I have no formal training in this weapon, and for two, you always decline when I ask you to return the favor and test your archery skills against mine.”

“Oh, it’s absolutely unfair,” Sidon says with a sharklike grin, “And if you’re still talking this much, I’m not doing my job.”

He jabs forward, catching Revali in the ribs, and Revali goes down to his knees, winded. Sidon takes advantage of this to knock him over all the way and climbs over him to pin him.

“I win,” Sidon says, still grinning.

“Yes, yes, you brute, you’re very strong and talented, et cetera.” Revali rolls his eyes. “Now get off of me, would you?”

Sidon makes no move to do so, grin dropped in favor of a contemplative expression.

“You in there?” He prods Sidon’s chest with one of his wingtips.

“What if,” he says, voice low, “I don’t want to get off?”

Revali blinks. “What?”

“What if,” Sidon says, voice still quiet and rumbling, “I want to stay right here?”

Revali shivers at the look in his eyes. They’ve gone almost completely dark.

Does Sidon…like him? Romantically?

Does _Revali_ like _Sidon?_

Sure, he’s attractive, and nice, and talented with a spear, and he listens to Revali and always makes sure he feels included and welcome and…

Oh, Goddess.

But…his gaze hardens. Link.

He can’t do this to him.

“I think,” Revali says, fighting to keep his voice steady, “You need to get off right now.”

Sidon immediately clambers off, expression somewhere between disappointed, regretful, and afraid. “Revali—”

“I’m going to go for a flight,” Revali says, knowing his voice is more high-pitched than normal. “You probably shouldn’t be here when I get back.”

“Revali, I’m—”

Revali takes off, hating everything about his life.

Why would Sidon _do_ that? He has Link already, he has everything Revali has ever _wanted._

 _You want Sidon, too,_ says the nasty voice in his head, which he disregards immediately. Something to consider at a later time. (Or, preferably, not ever.)

The point is, why would Sidon throw that all away over someone like _him_? He’s not good like Link. He’s not strong, or noble, or even particularly _nice_. 

And the worst part, the worst part of all of this, is that for a moment Revali had wanted it so badly that he hadn’t even thought about Link, because all he could think is _someone finally wants me—_

No. Revali is not a good person.

When he finally lands, Sidon is gone, and even though it’s what he asked for, he still feels very, very alone.

  


* * *

  
The traveling minstrel’s name is Kass, and he’s here to play for the King. Zelda apparently knows him, because they’re conversing quietly in the corner.

When Kass takes notice of him, he brightens and walks over. “You must be Revali! I’ve heard stories of you ever since I was a boy.”

“Yeah,” Revali mumbles. Normally he’d be a lot more verbose, especially for a fan, but he’s not exactly in a talking mood right now. 

Kass eyes him carefully, then smiles. “Maybe we can talk later. I’ll leave you to it for now, then.”

Great, so he looks that bad. Revali sighs and continues to wander aimlessly around the castle, when he hears, “—don’t know why you think I can help you with this—”

“—care too! I could feel it, he—”

Curious, he draws closer. It sounds like Sidon and Mipha are arguing.

“—clarify, I don’t _want_ to help you with this. You know—”

“—Mipha, I just want—”

“—love—Urbosa, but she—”

His eyes widen. So, Mipha loves Urbosa?

Well, everything else may be going to crap, but this he can work with.

He trots off to find Urbosa, and more specifically, her string.

He finds her taking a midday nap in her room. He creeps over to take the end of her string, and—

“First, you can touch them? And second, why precisely are you touching _mine_?”

He winces, turning to find Urbosa very much awake, and not looking very pleased with him.

“I can touch them, yes,” he says awkwardly. “And I was just…”

“I recommend you tell the truth,” she says with a raised eyebrow.

He huffs, looking away. “I…Mipha doesn't have a string. They elongate at a distance, so I sort of thought—”

“You sort of thought you might cut mine and give her one?”

He fidgets, then whispers, “They can’t really be cut.”

“You thought you were going to connect her and me,” Urbosa intuits correctly, voice dangerous. 

“She likes you,” Revali offers weakly. “I just wanted—”

“I don’t care,” Urbosa says, “What you wanted. You’re coming with me.”

She strides out of the room, and he doesn’t really have anything to do other than follow.

Mipha and Sidon are in the large reception hall now, facing away from one another and frowning.

They get there just in time to hear Kass say, “Where did you hear that? The Rito don’t have any such custom.”

Link pauses, brows knitting together. “But I thought—” He sees Revali and starts walking towards him, frowning. “Revali, Kass says that there’s no rule amongst the Rito prohibiting public displays of affection. Why—”

Oh, Goddess. 

Urbosa interrupts him tersely, “Sorry, but I need him right now.”

Link trails behind them. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on,” Urbosa says angrily as she reaches Mipha, “Is that this sun-cursed _jackal_ here can touch the strings, and he just tried to tie you to me.”

Mipha looks confused. “What?”

“I’m done trying to talk for you,” Urbosa says. “Tell Mipha yourself.”

Mipha looks at Revali. “What does she mean?”

“You…you seemed so unhappy about not having a string, and I’ve always been able to touch them. Manipulate them.” He clears his throat. “I wanted to _help_ , Mipha—”

She’s beginning to realize what she means. Eyes narrow slits, she says, “You wanted to help by going against the will of the Goddess, spitting in Urbosa’s One’s memory, and tying us both to someone for whom we have no feelings?”

“But I heard you say you loved her,” he says desperately. “Just earlier—”

“No, I don’t, Revali! I don’t know what you think you heard, but Urbosa and I are and have always been no more than friends!”

“Then who—” he begins.

“It’s none of your business!” she shouts, clearly furious.

He stays stock still, shocked. She never yells. “You—”

“I can’t _believe_ you,” she seethes. “What makes you think you have the right to just change fate like that? My lack of a string is _my_ business, my feelings are _my_ business, my happiness is _my business_! You think you’re so great, so _wonderful_ , but you’re not, Revali! You’ve got your bow and nothing else, and I am _done_ with you.”

A hollowness opens inside him. She’s right. “I’m sorry,” he whispers dully.

“I don’t _care_ if you’re sorry,” Mipha hisses. “Want to see what it’s like to have your freedom to choose taken from you? Hey, Link, Sidon.”

He gasps, wingtips flying to his beak. “Mipha, no—”

“How about you ask Revali who _his_ strings go to, hm?”

The room is completely silent, everybody standing with eyes wide.

Revali’s head fills with static, and all he can think to do is run, so he starts running.

“Revali, wait—” someone says, somewhere far away, and he doesn’t know who it is, and he doesn’t care. He keeps running, and then he summons an updraft and lets it carry him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha yikes
> 
> reminder that i'm doing a fic giveaway over on my tumblr [here!](http://anuninterestingperson.tumblr.com/post/158988836706/600-follower-giveaway)


	10. i only want to see your face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from come on love by take that lol

He flies and flies, the wind through his wings changing the horror he feels into a quiet numbness.

They know. There’s no way they don’t know after that. He couldn’t stay, he can’t go back.

So he goes to the only place he can think of, the place he called home before all this, before everything. 

When he gets to Rito Village about five days later, it’s dark, and everybody is sleeping. He sits on the landing that bears his name and stares out at the mountains.

He can’t even bring himself to get angry at Mipha. She was right about everything, and he was wrong. He was wrong to try to tie her and Urbosa together. He was wrong to think he could help anyone. He ruins everything he touches, chases away everyone he loves. Why would he think this would be any different?

“Who are you?” a gruff voice interrupts his thoughts, and he cranes his neck to look behind him to see a white Rito. “I haven’t seen you before.”

“What does it matter?”

He steps closer, and now Revali can see that he holds a bow in his wings. “It matters because I protect this village from any threat. Are you a threat?”

Revali rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. I _was_ you once, I’m not about to attack you.”

“Then surely you can tell me your name.”

He sighs. “Revali.”

There’s a silence, then, “You’re dead.”

“I was. There’s a difference.” 

“Right.” He sounds dubious. “Well, if you’re not dead, you probably need a place to stay, right?”

Revali had sort of been planning to live on Medoh for the rest of his sad existence, but he supposes one night spent here won’t hurt. “That would be…nice, thank you.”

“Teba,” the Rito says, extending his wing. “Nice to meet you.”

When he wakes up the next day, he shrieks upon finding a young Rito staring at him.

“I’m Tulin,” he says. “Who are you?”

“Revali,” he says, somewhat grumpily.

“Like the landing?”

“Like the landing.”

Tulin nods, then says, “Why did your parents name you after a wooden platform?”

“It was named after me, actually,” Revali says, yawning. “What time is it?”

“Late. Papa said to let you sleep. Are you very old?”

Revali raises an eyebrow. “Older than you. What makes you ask that?”

“The platform has been named Revali’s Landing since before I was born, and since before Papa was born. So you have to be old.”

“Right. It’s a bit of a complicated story, but I’m probably only a bit older than your father.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t ask anything further, and Revali smiles internally. He’s actually rather fond of kids. Everything is so simple with them.

The next surprise comes when he goes to thank Saki, Teba’s wife, for making him breakfast. He observes that she doesn’t have a string, but when he finds Teba at the Flight Range, his string stretches southeast.

He wasn’t going to comment on it, but he sees Teba’s eyes flicker down to his strings, and Revali's beak drops open.

“You can see them.”

“Yes.”

“Yet you’re not mated to your One. Could you not find them?”

“No, I know who they are.” He shrugs, looking out at the crags of the Range. “He’s married, has five kids. Wanders around a lot, but technically he lives here.”

“Does _he_ not know?”

“I told him once. Just wasn’t meant to be. He needed someone who could be okay with him being gone all the time, and I needed someone who could stay with me.” Teba gets up and stretches. “It worked out. Things tend to, in my experience.”

He takes off, flying lazily around in the updrafts, and after a moment Revali joins him.

He ends up staying with their family for ten days. He likes the simple way in which they live, so far removed from the drama of the past few months.

He also acquaints himself with the new Elder of the village, who is confused by but pleased at his return from the dead. It’s not the same, will never be the same, as his Elder, but the familiarity of the Elder’s dwelling is nice regardless.

He eats, he flies, he talks with the villagers. He buries Daruk and Urbosa and Mipha, and with them Link and Sidon.

So then, of course, one of them shows up.

Tulin is showing him, very seriously, how to shoot an arrow, and Revali is nodding with an amused smile playing on his face. He’s actually got fairly good posture for a kid. Must be his dad’s influence.

“Revali,” comes a soft voice from behind him.

He whirls around, because he knows that voice. Link is standing there. Zelda’s not far behind, looking incredibly unimpressed.

As soon as he thinks it, Link is asking, “Zelda, would you mind giving us some space?”

Her eyes narrow, but she walks off.

Revali looks back to Tulin. “Hey, mind showing this to me again later?” he says, gently, because Tulin is a delicate soul. “I need to talk with my friend alone.”

“Sure,” Tulin says, then trots off.

Link is smiling softly. “I never knew you were good with kids.”

“Well, as the hero of the village, I couldn’t exactly turn them away. It would be rude.” 

“Hm.” Link is still smiling as he takes a step forward. 

“What are you doing here?” Revali asks, and the smile drops.

“I couldn’t just leave you alone after that, Revali. Do you think me so cruel?”

“I think it’s cruel to come all this way to tell me I should stay here,” he mumbles, but Link hears it.

“Wait, what? I came here to bring you _back._ ”

They blink at each other. Finally, Revali says, genuinely confused, “Why in the Goddess’s name would you want me there?”

“Because we—I—” He makes a frustrated noise. “Come on, Revali, don’t make this difficult.”

“I’m not trying to be difficult. I honestly don’t understand. You and Sidon have each other. You don’t need me looking in and…wanting.”

Link’s eyes widen, and he says in a slightly strangled voice, “Wanting? What do you mean?”

“Who’s being difficult now?”

“Please, just answer the question,” Link says, taking another step forward. 

Revali sighs. “All I ever wanted since I was a child was to have people who loved me, who could look past my inadequacy to whatever is beneath, if there’s anything there at all. I used to dream of finding the person on the other end of my string, and then I did, and it turns out not only is the person who’s destined to love me incapable of doing so, but that I have two, and _neither_ of them can love me.”

“Oh, Revali,” Link breathes.

“I don’t need your sympathy,” Revali snaps, turning away. 

“How about an apology?” Link is moving ever closer, slowly, like he’s worried he’ll spook Revali and Revali will fly away.

“Not that either. You don’t need to be _sorry_ for not feeling the same way.”

“I’m not sorry that I don’t feel the same way.” Revali closes his eyes. He knows, but it still hurts to hear him say it. “I am sorry, however, that I ever made you think I was anything other than madly in love with you.”

His eyes fly open. “What?!”

“Revali, I’ve been in love with you for over a hundred years.” He finally reaches Revali, looking up at him steadily. “Zelda told me I was pretty obvious, so I thought you knew and just weren’t interested. It never even occurred to me that you might be under the impression I wasn’t head over heels.”

“There’s no way this is real,” Revali whispers. “You—you have Sidon, and—”

“Ah, yes, Sidon. He’s in love with you too, for the record,” Link says conversationally, moving even closer. “When I told him about my feelings for you, he decided to get to know you better, and he’s been whining about how oblivious you are for the past month or so, and how beautiful you look when you fly, and how nice you feel underneath him when he’s pinning you—”

Revali squawks and hides his eyes underneath his wingtips. “Link, really!”

“Yes,” Link says, “Really.”

Then he leans forward and presses his lips against the place where Revali’s beak meets his feathers, and for a blessed moment the voices screaming _lying, he’s lying_ stop, and there’s only silence and the feeling of Link’s delicate fingers on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally


	11. against every wall we're crashing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from come on love by take that, again
> 
> cw for pda and innuendo

That evening, Revali has to explain to Tulin that he’s leaving, which is difficult. Tulin makes him promise to practice the archery stance he taught him, then buries his head in Saki’s wing. Teba invites Link to stay for dinner after a pointed look at the string and then Revali, and Revali just smiles and shrugs.

Dinner isn’t really all that different, except for Link sits next to him, and every time he looks over Link beams at him. When dinner is over, Link thanks them graciously, then laces his fingers with Revali’s wingtips and tugs him out of the dwelling.

“Where are we going?” Revali asks bemusedly.

“I rather hoped you might be willing to to go to bed with me tonight.”

Revali goes hot. “I, uh?”

Link glances at Revali, then his eyes widen. “Oh, not like that. I mean to sleep.”

“Oh,” Revali says, relieved, but also secretly slightly disappointed.

“This isn’t the most private of places, after all, and I think Zelda might kill me if we started something next to her bed at the inn,” Link muses. “And then Sidon would kill me for starting without him.”

Revali chokes, blood rushing to his cheeks, though it’s not visible to Link.

“But don’t worry. I’ve waited a hundred years for you.” He winks. “I can wait a _bit_ longer.” Then he pauses. “Assuming that’s something you’re interested in?”

“Don’t make me say it,” Revali mumbles, hiding his face again, then, “Yes.”

Link pulls his wings away from his face, smiling sweetly. “I’m going to kiss you again now,” he says, and does.

He wakes up the next morning with his wings curled around Link protectively and wonders, not for the first time, whether this is real or just some cruel dream. But then Link stretches and yawns, blinking up at him adorably, and his lips curve into a slow smile. He breathes, “Good morning” like he can’t believe it either, and Revali decides this might be the nice type of dream after all.

They prepare to leave. Revali says his last goodbyes to Teba, Saki, and Tulin, as well as the Elder. 

The journey home is about ten days long, at least with Hylians. They travel by day, and by night, Link and Revali talk to each other like they used to before, except with a lot more hand-holding and the occasional kiss. 

And then, finally, they make it to Zora’s Domain. Sidon is waiting on Great Zora bridge, his expression hopeful.

Link grins as he sees him. “Turns out,” he says, walking towards to give Sidon a hug and beckoning him down for a kiss, “that Revali was under the mistaken impression we had no interest in him.”

Sidon says, confused, “I literally pinned him down and implied I wanted to ravage him right out in the palace gardens.”

Zelda makes a retching noise, which they all ignore.

“I didn’t know Link was on board with it,” Revali protests. “Besides, wanting someone for a quick tumble in the sheets is not at all the same as being in love with them.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t have been quick,” Sidon says thoughtfully, and Revali chokes again. “I see what you mean, though. I apologize for not having been more clear.” Then a wide smile spreads across his face. “But Link explained, right?”

“Right,” Revali says, nodding.

“So I can kiss you now?” he asks, stepping into Revali’s space. “Because I would very much like to do so.”

Revali gives another, smaller nod, and Sidon’s grin widens even further as he leans down to press a kiss to Revali’s beak, stroking his fingers along the feathers of Revali’s face, then kissing up to Revali’s crest.

He probably intended it to be sweet, something like kissing Revali’s forehead, but Revali’s crest feathers are actually incredibly sensitive, and he inhales sharply and makes a small noise at feeling Sidon’s lips there.

Sidon blinks at him, then scoops him up abruptly and announces, “We’re going to our room now.”

Revali squawks and squirms in Sidon’s firm grip. “I can walk!”

“Not by the time I’m done with you,” Sidon says huskily, and Revali’s beak clacks shut. 

“You’re all disgusting,” Zelda says, face pained. “Please leave before I sustain permanent damage.”

“Sorry!” Link chirps, not sounding very sorry at all. “Let’s get going, then!” 

He and Sidon trot off, Sidon still with Revali in his arms, and Zelda makes an unhappy face.

She really, really had not needed to see or hear any of that.

  


* * *

  
They eat in their bedroom that night, cuddling in a pile on the bed and sharing stories. Revali is grateful for it—he knows that they’re trying to keep him from Urbosa and Mipha until he knows what to say.

The problem is, he reflects after their eyes have both closed, that he doesn’t know if he can ever know what to say. Does he say sorry? Does he get angry? Both? 

He heads out for an early morning flight the next day, soaring high above the palace and thinking. Finally he sighs and lands. He still has no idea what to do.

He walks into the dining hall for breakfast and sees the other Champions and Yunobo. Everyone freezes.

Mipha is the first to do something. She rises from her seat and makes her way over to Revali, then bows.

He looks at her. “You don’t need to do that,” he says eventually. “I don’t think it’s making either of us feel better.”

“Revali, I don’t know how to apologize,” she says, coming out of the bow. “I was angry, but my anger doesn’t excuse my behavior. I realize that I went way too far. I’m so sorry.”

“You betrayed my trust, Mipha. That’s not something that can be rebuilt with just an apology.”

She nods, looking away.

“But I betrayed both your and Urbosa’s trust as well when I tried to tie you together. I really did think I was helping, but I can admit that my method of doing so was…misguided.” He exhales. “I don’t think either of us are in the right here, so maybe we can mutually agree to try to work to regain each other’s trust?”

“All right,” Mipha says with a small smile. “I can deal with that.” 

Urbosa stares at him. “That was a surprisingly diplomatic way to handle things. It’s not like you.”

“With all respect, Urbosa, none of you really know much about what I’m like,” Revali says irritably. 

“That’s on you,” Urbosa says coldly, standing. “And for the record, I’m not interested in a mutual agreement of any kind with you. If you want me to even think about forgiving you, you’re going to have to prove to me that you’re able to be someone other than who I think you are.”

 _not good enough never good enough_ — the voices begin to whisper, but he holds his ground.

“Who do you think I am?” he asks, attempting to keep his voice steady.

“I think that you’re thoughtless and that nobody has ever taught you that your decisions have true impact, or that you can’t fix the ruin caused by your bad choices by running away from them, or that courage lies in facing what you’ve wrought. I think all you’ve ever learned is that if you hide behind a mask of arrogance and artful indifference, people will never care enough about you to see the scared man beneath, and you’ll be able to tell yourself that because they don’t really know you, they can’t really judge you. I think—”

“Stop,” Revali whispers, voice thick. “Please, stop.”

“Am I wrong?” she asks with a raised eyebrow. “About any of it?” Then she turns and walks out of the hall, throwing over her shoulder, “Congratulations on your relationship with Sidon and Link, by the way. I hope you’re very happy.”

She’s not wrong, but he won’t run this time. He eats his breakfast in silence, ignoring everyone staring at him, and then he walks out of the hall, and he walks to his room, and he walks to a corner and makes himself as small as he feels.

(Or close, anyway.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok realtalk
> 
> i struggled with whether to have urbosa do this. obviously it's very mean to lash out at revali where she knows it'll hurt the most, and i'm not trying to say it's okay that she's doing it just because she's hurting herself. it's absolutely not okay. but sometimes people do not okay things, and it doesn't necessarily always make them a bad person, just...idk. a person. but don't worry she's going to have to face up to her behavior
> 
> but not before some h/c =v=


	12. turn your heartache into loving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from and the band plays by take that
> 
> cw: negativity, low self-esteem

He doesn’t move, even when he hears his door open. He just stays in his corner, wings wrapped around himself protectively.

“Revali?” It’s Link.

“We heard about what happened at breakfast.” Ah. Sidon too. “Yunobo let us know as soon as you left. We got here as fast as we could.” 

He hears their footsteps move ever closer, until there’s a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Link again; his hand is much smaller. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Revali says dully, voice muffled by his feathers. “She didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“Even if so, it didn’t give her the right to say it,” Sidon says softly. “Come, darling, will you let us see your face?”

He slowly moves his wings away from his face, then asks abruptly, “Why are either of you with me?”

“Because we love you,” Link says, face falling. “I thought we established that.”

“No, I mean, why in the name of the _Goddess_ would _either_ of you ever fall for someone like me? It makes no sense. You two,” he waves wildly between them, “You make sense. You’re both _good_. I’m just—I’m not _anything_. I’m—”

“You,” Link interrupts, brows furrowed angrily, “are so much more than you’re giving yourself credit for. So, what, you’re scared and you put on an act and sometimes you make bad decisions and you don’t want to deal with the fallout? That’s about what Urbosa said, right? Who honestly _cares_? Everyone gets scared, everyone runs, everyone puts on an act. Revali, _I_ put on an act, for Goddess’s sake. You don’t honestly think that when I’m negotiating trade agreements or visiting towns in my official capacity that I’m the same as when I’m here with you and Sidon, do you? Or do you think I’ve never done something I regretted and avoided dealing with it?”

Sidon adds, “Link is right. The things that Urbosa got angry at you over are not exactly uncommon, nor are they massive failings. They’re things we can all work to improve, but having difficulty with them doesn’t make you a bad person. _You’re_ not a bad person.”

Revali huffs, frustrated. “You don’t know me well enough to say that.”

“We may not know everything about you, although I’m sure I speak for us both when I say that we look forward to getting to that point,” Link says gently. “But what I do know is enough. I know that you were strong enough to build yourself from nothing, that you’re dedicated, that you care deeply for others even if it scares you to do so. I know you’re beautiful,” he drops a kiss on the top of Revali’s beak, “And amazing,” another kiss on the side, “And someone who I am proud to love.” One last kiss, longer this time, lingering on the red marking of his cheek.

Revali suddenly feels a bit like crying. The nasty voice whispers _wrong, he’s gotten it all wrong, he doesn’t know you at all,_ but something more hopeful simply says, _or maybe he just loves you enough not to care._

“Link,” Sidon whines, “What am I supposed to say after that? I can’t just say ‘me too’.”

“But you can kiss me some more,” Revali suggests nervously.

Sidon brightens. “I’m more than happy to do so, my dear,” he says, and with Link’s hand finding its way to his wingtips and Sidon peppering his face with kisses and whispered compliments, he doesn’t feel quite as small as he did before.

  


* * *

  
When dinner comes, Link and Sidon escort him to the dining hall, where Urbosa is sitting in her normal spot. She raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. 

“Urbosa,” Revali says, and this time his voice is strong. “I am exactly who you think I am.”

“Oh?”

“I _am_ thoughtless. I act on instinct to protect myself, and sometimes that means I run even when it would be better to stay. I _do_ hide, and I _am_ afraid of judgment.”

She raises the other eyebrow. “What am I supposed to do with that admission?”

“You can try to understand,” he says. 

She frowns. 

Revali takes a deep breath, and Sidon and Link, on either side of him, brush against his feathers reassuringly. “My parents left me when I was a child. I learned quickly that the only person who would be able to save me from everything was myself. I learned that the only way to keep myself safe was to keep anything from ever touching me. So yes, I have problems, and I probably always will. I make mistakes, and will likely continue to do so. And you have no concept of how much I _hate_ myself for _all_ of it.”

Urbosa stares at him, lips pressed together.

“So if you were trying to get me to have some big realization about myself, then you failed, because nobody can ever say something to me that I haven’t already punished myself for a thousand times over. I know exactly who I am.”

Everyone is silent, although Link and Sidon are gripping his shoulders a bit tighter.

“But. I’d like…I’d like to be something better. I’d like to be the person Link and Sidon see when they look at me. And I don’t know if I can get there, but I know that I can try. And if that’s not enough for you, I think that says more about who you are than who I am.”

The silence stretches even further, Revali done speaking, then Urbosa says quietly, “I apologize for what I said, but I will not apologize for not being ready to forgive you yet.”

Revali inclines his head. “That’s fair.”

“Did you even know what might happen when you tied us together? Goddess, Revali, you can’t just slam two people together and assume they’ll be happy. There’s a reason the Goddess didn’t put us together in the first place.”

“I know that now. I’m sorry.”

Urbosa exhales heavily. “I don’t know why Mipha was born without a string, and I don’t know why I was never able to have Mona. But I have to believe that things are as they should be.”

Revali pauses. “I suppose I agree only in part.”

“How so?”

“I think we have to make things as they are meant to be. Not by rearranging strings, or by playing the part of the Goddess, but by taking what we are given and making something out of it.”

Urbosa stares at him, then smiles, a small, slight thing. “I like that.”

Daruk says plaintively, “Now that we all dislike each other slightly less, can we eat? Drama makes my stomach rumble.”

Sidon laughs and calls in the food, and Revali sits in between him and Link, and things aren’t perfect, but they’re better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how does one come up with realistic forgiveness timelines anyway? i sure don't know lol


	13. staring in the face of what's to come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from up by take that

The following week, Revali wakes up with his crest feathers dyed an eye-searing yellow. Urbosa grins when she sees him and says, “The first step to true forgiveness is always revenge.” 

Link and Sidon smile quietly behind their hands when they see him, and he scowls and doesn’t talk to them the whole day. He’d have kept it up longer, but they kiss him and tell him they’re sorry and that they have it on good authority the dye will wash out in a few days.

Revali moves into Sidon’s room two weeks later so that he can be together with Link and Sidon when nighttime comes. He’s been more or less staying there anyway, so it’s not a huge change. He and Sidon still spar daily, but now Link watches them fondly as they do so (and hungrily when one of them inevitably pins the other, chests heaving as they catch their breath, and lean down to whisper something that causes the other to go hot and surge up for a kiss.

They spend a _lot_ of time in Sidon’s room, really.)

As happy as Revali is, he still feels like the other shoe is going to drop at any time. Every night, with Sidon and Link curled around him, he lies awake and stares at the ceiling as the voices whisper, _they’re just humoring you, no way they love you, no way they care, it’s only a matter of time before they wake up and realize they deserve more than you._

And he knows. He knows they only have so much time together, and that’s why he can’t bring himself to shorten it by pulling away. He’s a terribly selfish man.

He also knows that Muzu, one of the King’s advisers, doesn’t like him. At all. He can’t really figure out why, but Muzu glares whenever he sees him, especially when he’s with Sidon and Link.

Revali is listlessly swooping around the sky one day—Link, Sidon, and Mipha are all in meetings, and Urbosa, Daruk, and Yunobo went out somewhere or other, so he doesn’t really have anything to do—when he sees Muzu looking up at him. He can’t see his expression, but it’s a fair bet he’s glaring now too. Revali sighs internally and lands.

“Okay, care to tell me what your problem is?”

Muzu’s eyes narrow even further. 

“Look, I’m not going to beg you to tell me why you hate me,” Revali says dismissively. “Either say something or not. It’s your choice.” 

He’s about to walk away when Muzu snaps, “You’re in the way.”

Revali blinks. “How so?”

“Prince Link and Prince Sidon’s relationship was progressing so well. And then you came along and weaseled your way in between them.”

Revali’s heart sinks a little at that, but he keeps his head high. “Our relationship was a mutual choice.”

“Are you sure they don’t just feel obligated to stay with you because you share their strings? Are you really sure?”

His heart sinks even further. He’s not sure at all. He wonders that every night. “It’s not really your business, is it? Please excuse me.” He begins to stalk towards the door.

“They were going to get married, you know,” Muzu spits, and Revali stops in his tracks. “Before you threw your temper tantrum and they had to involve you. They were planning to tell everyone within the week.”

Something freezes within him. Muzu is lying. He has to be lying, right? To prove a point? Because if Link and Sidon loved him all along, they wouldn’t have…

Right. He’s lying, and Revali isn’t going to run. He’s going to talk to them, and he’s going to straighten everything out, and everything will be fine.

 _You can only fool yourself for so long before it all comes crashing down around you,_ says the voice, and its words have the eerie ring of prophecy.

He’s quiet all through dinner, and he knows Link and Sidon pick up on it. They’re both quite observant, after all; not observant enough to know about the voices, perhaps, but observant nonetheless.

Sure enough, when they’ve retired to their room for the night, Sidon pulls Revali close and kisses softly at the red feathers of his cheek. “What’s wrong, darling? You’ve been in a state all day.”

Link, on the other side, exhales and lies his head on Revali’s shoulder. He’s clearly tired, but he still asks, “Is it anything we can help with?”

“I spoke with Muzu today,” Revali says carefully.

“Oh, him,” Sidon mutters, almost a grumble if he weren’t so polite. “What did he say?”

“He doesn’t like me. But that’s not the point. He said something…odd.”

“What was that?”

“He said that you were planning on getting married before the incident with Mipha.”

They both stiffen next to him, almost simultaneously. He’d find it comedic if his chest didn’t feel so hollow.

“Ah,” he murmurs. “I see.” He can’t even muster anger, just a deep, crushing sadness.

“Revali, it’s…well, you didn’t seem _interested_ ,” Sidon says awkwardly. “We thought we could never have you. And Link and I thought to reaffirm our feelings for each other in the best way we knew how, but—surely you know it wasn’t _complete_ without—”

“You don’t need to explain yourself,” Revali says, tiredness rolling over him. “I understand.”

Sidon pauses. “You do?”

“Yes.” He’s always understood that he ruins everything he touches. If there’s one thing he understands, it’s that. “Don’t worry yourselves over it. I was just curious. Goodnight.”

They’re both frowning—probably don’t believe him—but he doesn’t have to feign the desire to close his eyes and get away from all of this. 

He can almost sense them exchanging a glance over him, and he definitely hears their sighs and feels them settling around him.

He doesn’t feel Link dropping a gentle kiss on his other cheek and whispering, “I love you. We love you,” but he probably wouldn’t have believed it if he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> revali......
> 
> please note the updated chapter count! this is going to end in two chapters :)


	14. turn my face up to the sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from cry by sigma ft. take that

He wakes up in the middle of the night and carefully makes his way out of the bed to the palace gardens, then lies down and just stares up at the sky.

“Can’t sleep?”

He looks over to see Yunobo. “Oh. Hello, Yunobo. What are you doing awake?”

He shrugs, sitting on the ground next to Revali. “Lots on my mind. I haven’t been sleeping well recently.”

“Any reason for that?”

Yunobo sighs, looking away. “After you and Link and Sidon got together, I sent a letter to Porphyry telling them that they were my One. They said, um, they said I was nice, and that they want to be friends, but.” He smiles tightly. 

“I’m sorry,” Revali says, guilt pulling at his heart.

“Nothing you did,” Yunobo says, almost like he knows what Revali was thinking. “You know…” He bites his lip, then murmurs, “Sometimes I think the Goddess has a cruel sense of humor, and I’m her idea of a funny joke.”

“I understand the feeling,” Revali mutters, but Yunobo hears him.

He looks genuinely confused. “What? Why? You’re talented, and confident, and fearless. You’re strong.”

“I’m not any of those things, Yunobo. Well, maybe talented,” Revali amends, “But not because of anything other than a lot of hard work. But that’s _all_ I have. The rest of me is all feathers and false bravado.”

Yunobo looks doubtful, but he doesn’t say anything contrary, just, “I wish I could be like Daruk.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re good how you are presently,” Revali says, glancing over at Yunobo. “Far less shout-y, at the very least.”

Yunobo smiles quietly at his lap. “Thanks.” 

Then they both resume staring at the stars. 

When they exchange quiet goodbyes and make their way back to their respective rooms, Revali finds that in his absence, Sidon and Link have reached out for each other in their sleep and are now sleeping next to each other, sprawled out right in the middle of the bed. There’s no room for him.

His heart hurts. He gazes at Link and Sidon for a while, at the strings connecting them and the complicated knot in the center of them all and for a moment he thinks, _I could just reach out and—_

But no. He’s not going to do that without consulting them first, not after Urbosa and Mipha. He’ll just have to hope that they won’t lie to him when he asks.

Decision made, he leaves the room as silently as he arrived. The room he used to stay in is still open, after all. He makes himself a nest out of the pillows and blankets and then curls up inside it.

He doesn’t sleep well, missing the warmth of two bodies on either side of him, but he sleeps.

He wakes up later than normal and goes to find Link and Sidon to let them know that he needs to talk to them. 

He hears Sidon’s angry voice before he sees him, coming from a secluded hallway.

“Muzu, you had _no_ right to speak to Revali of our personal matters, especially ones that might cause him any kind of hurt. What were you _thinking_?”

“He’s a _commoner_!”

“And what does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re a prince, as is Prince Link. Revali is just a loud-mouthed braggart of a Rito with no formal title. He doesn’t _fit_ , Sidon! I don’t understand—”

“You don’t need to understand, and if you’re going to be so insistent about my _title_ , I’ll thank you to call me by it,” Sidon hisses. “Stay away from him. We have a hard enough time without your ‘help’.”

A hard time? Revali’s chest clenches, but it only solidifies his decision. He steps forward into the hallway and asks steadily, “Sidon? Would you be willing to talk with me later?”

Sidon whirls, eyes wide. “Goodness, you startled me!” Then he steps forward slightly, as if to go in for a hug, before apparently thinking better of it. “You weren’t there when we woke up. We were worried.”

“Sorry,” he says insincerely. 

Sidon frowns, then says, “As for your question, you don’t have to ask for an audience, you know. I’m always willing to talk to you.”

“With you and Link,” Revali clarifies. “I want to talk about something.”

Sidon’s frown intensifies, but he says slowly, “I would never deny you anything, my sweet. I have a meeting coming up and some things to sign, but after that?”

“I’m in no particular hurry.” He knows it’s selfish, after all, but he wants as much time with them as possible before they leave him. 

“Thank you, darling.” This time he does step forward to drop a quick, uncertain kiss on Revali’s beak, but when Revali sees him stepping away, something in him crumples and he chases after him, angling his head so that he has access to Sidon’s mouth and then licking into it desperately, because Rito may not have lips but they do have tongues, and he intends to make Sidon remember him even when he’s gone.

When he steps back, Sidon is flushed and dazed. “Um?” he says eloquently. 

Muzu, who he had forgotten about, is making a face of utter despair. “I did not want to know that much about Rito anatomy,” he mumbles. 

Revali goes hot at his boldness under his feathers and says, “I’ll see you later. I…I love you.”

“I love you too,” Sidon says, eyes still slightly glazed over. 

Revali nods, then makes his escape. He has to find Link, and let him know about the talk, and then he’s going to kiss him within an inch of his life, because he is selfish, selfish.

Link responds about the same way as Sidon, except Muzu isn’t there this time and Link looks around before whispering huskily, “If I didn’t have to be somewhere five minutes ago, please make no mistake, I would make you fall apart right here and now.”

Revali doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that, to Link’s unexpected willingness to say incredibly dirty things whenever given the opportunity. He supposes now he doesn’t have to. He smiles wanly at the thought and says, “But you do have to be somewhere, don’t you?”

“I’ll think of you the whole time,” Link promises, grinning disarmingly. “Your fault.” 

“Please do,” Revali says in a whisper, then turns to leave before turning back and saying with heartbreaking sincerity, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Link says, an odd expression on his face. 

With goodbyes, of a sort, said, Revali takes off to fly above the Domain, the wind calming his beating heart and leeching away the sadness he feels at what he’s about to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: the end


	15. stand by us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from come on love by take that. again. this is the last you'll see of the take that chapter titles guys

When he finally lands around an hour later, he heads directly to their room to wait for Sidon and Link. Well, not his room much longer, he supposes. He looks at the familiar details, the intricate patterns of iridescent shells on the walls, trying to memorize it all. 

He falls into a light sleep after that, and wakes up to the bed dipping and someone lightly running their fingers along the feathers of his cheek. He opens his eyes and finds Link smiling softly at him. “Hello,” he says, and Revali’s heart warms for a moment before freezing again as he remembers.

He looks around for Sidon and finds him a few steps away, also beaming. “It’s good to see you back in our bed,” he says, tone fond. “We really were very worried when we woke up and you weren’t there.”

Revali sits up. He can’t let their sweet words convince him out of asking, so after a few moments, he just says it straight out. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest with me when you answer.”

They both blink at him, but nod slowly.

“I can untie myself from you. Do you want me to?”

It takes a moment for them to process the question, but when they do, Link’s face crumples and Sidon looks almost angry.

“Revali, why would you even _ask_ that?” Sidon asks. 

“You two love each other. You were going to get married. I just got in the way, and you…you don’t have to pretend like I’m anything other than an obligation. I want you to be happy, so—”

“Goddess curse it all, our happiness lies with all of us _together_ , Revali!” Sidon bursts out, and Revali’s eyes go wide. Sidon doesn’t yell often. “What will it take for you to realize that we _love_ you, not out of a sense of obligation, but because you are brilliant and amazing and _incredibly dense_?”

“You love me because I’m dense?” Revali asks dryly, but Sidon just growls and turns away, clearly frustrated.

He looks over at Link, still sitting next to him, and is surprised and horrified to find tears streaming down Link’s face, his fists clenching and unclenching like doing so will keep him from sobbing. 

“Link?” Revali asks uncertainly.

“Why do you keep trying to leave?” Link whispers brokenly. “Why aren’t we good enough for you?”

Revali stares at him, confused and more than a little heartbroken at the expression on his face. “Link, _I’m_ not good enough for either of you. You’re both so bright, and I’m just—”

“You’re not _just_ anything! Goddess, Revali, you think we don’t notice you staying up late at night, torturing yourself over what you think you are? We’ve been doing our best to show you that you’re so much more than your ridiculously inaccurate opinion of yourself, but obviously that isn’t working, so I’m forced to conclude we’re just not enough for you, and I don’t know how to _fix_ that, because I _love_ you and I am _not giving you up_!” 

Revali protests, “You’re more than enough for me! I—”

“Then let us love you!” Link shouts.

There’s a momentary silence. Revali ducks his head.

Link takes his wingtips in his hand, caressing his thumb over the feathers. “You don’t have to believe you’re worthy of it, not right now. I can’t ask that of you, because I know it’s hard. But can you try to believe in us?”

Sidon slowly makes his way over to Revali’s side, sitting down on the bed as well. “Do you love us?” he asks.

“Of course.” His head is still down, looking fixatedly at his lap. 

“Then that’s what matters. You can learn to love yourself in time, and we’ll be right by your side throughout it all, because the Goddess has given us each other, and that is not something you could change no matter how many knots you untied. You lift us higher, Revali, and we’ll lift you in return. That’s how this works.” 

“I can’t…I won’t be perfect,” Revali murmurs eventually. “Or even good, I…”

“We don’t need you to be,” Link says gently. “We just need you, as you are, here with us.”

“I’ll try,” he says, finally looking up. 

Link and Sidon’s faces both blossom into smiles. Link rests his head on Revali’s shoulder, and Sidon presses a kiss to Revali’s cheek. 

_you can’t do this,_ whispers the voice, but somehow, feeling Link and Sidon’s heat on either side, he thinks maybe, for once, the voice is wrong.

  


* * *

  
Time passes. 

Urbosa returns to Gerudo Town to be with Riju, while Daruk and Yunobo go back to Goron City. Revali gets a letter a few months later, telling him that Porphyry and him have started seeing each other. Revali smiles and responds that they’ll both have to visit sometime, and he’ll give Porphyry a hard time for taking so long to appreciate what was in front of them. Yunobo says he’s not sure if they would appreciate that, but he’ll come anyway.

Mipha meets a traveling Hylian without a string, and they become friends, and eventually they start courting. Rumor has it that the Hylian, a girl named Elbelin, is looking around for a ring—and that Mipha is working on armor. At least, that’s what Muzu says, so who knows if he’s telling the truth.

Zelda goes out on frequent trips. It’s hard for her to stay in one place, sometimes, and Link gives her his blessing and releases her from her duty as his knight. But in the end, she always comes back to the Domain, because while they may not be connected by a string, they’re connected by fate.

Revali mentions to Link and Sidon that he doesn’t have much to do during the day, and after some negotiations with King Dorephan and then between the King and the Elder of Rito Village, Revali is proclaimed ambassador between the Rito and Zora. He makes lots of trips back to the Village, during which he shows Tulin how much his archery has improved (all because of his help, of course). 

His new position keeps him busy enough that he doesn’t have much time to think about the voices at all. And besides, when they wait on the bridge to welcome him back and argue over who gets to hug him first and then settle for both wrapping their arms around him, holding him tight like they can’t bear to ever let him go again, he begins to think maybe they might love him after all.

There are still bad days, of course, days where the voices get unbearably loud and he pushes them away, days where his own voice goes still and quiet and Link and Sidon find him curled up in a corner of their bed, days where all they can do is curl up against him and wait until sleep finds him. 

It is on a good day, though, a day bright and sunny, that Revali flies back from Rito Village. He’s tired from the long flight, but excited to see Link and Sidon again. 

When he lands, they both grin at him, but don’t make any move to walk forward.

“Is everything all right?” he asks, worry starting to bloom in his chest.

“Everything is wonderful,” Link says, then gets down on a knee.

Revali frowns at him. “What are you doing?”

“This was a long trip, and we missed you a lot,” Sidon says, beaming behind Link. “Enough so that we started talking about you, and what we wanted out of our future together.”

Revali still isn’t understanding. “Okay?”

“We discussed it with King Dorephan, and apparently there isn’t really anything preventing three people from getting married,” Link says, grin widening, and oh, Revali is starting to understand. “Revali, we’ve had a long journey together. Ever since we met each other on that landing over a hundred years ago, I’ve wanted to have you by my side forever.”

“I haven’t waited quite as long,” Sidon adds, “But I feel the same way, for the record.”

“Hush,” Link says with a playful glare. “We drew lots for the chance to do this and I won, which I know you remember.”

Revali lets out a choked laugh, wing over his beak.

“Would you allow us to continue this journey for as long as we all live?” Link asks. “Will you marry us?”

Revali nods, and the voices are blessedly silent as he whispers, “Yes, obviously.”

They both brighten, and it’s then that they rush forward to embrace him, Sidon taking both Link and Revali in his arms and swinging them around. Link and Sidon both press countless kisses on his beak, and they’re all laughing.

“Do you know what this makes you?” Sidon asks at one point.

“Happy,” Revali says simply, and Link and Sidon pause and look at him fondly.

“I was going to say a prince,” Sidon says, eyes soft, “But happy…happy is good.”

The strings that connect them stand out a stark red against the bridge as they stand close, as bright as the future ahead of them.

(But Revali isn’t looking at the strings. He’s looking at the two people who love him, and who he loves back, and really, that’s far more important than any string will ever be.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title drop! title drop! title dr
> 
> as you know, endings are difficult for me, but hopefully this isn't completely awful :) like it's incredibly cheesy but that is what i DOOOOO
> 
> oh elbelin is little elf in middle german i think lol. cause hylians are elves GET IT anyway
> 
> anyway, thank you so much everyone for reading, and for giving kudos and commenting! this was a bit hard to keep going, but i was able to do it only because of your support :) thanks for coming along on this journey and, as always, i hope to see you all again on another fic!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, you're all wonderful! my tumblr is [here!](http://anuninterestingperson.tumblr.com)


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